Tag Archives: safari destination

You don’t need to be scared to go on safari. When CNN described Kenya last year as “a hotbed of terrorism” it called attention to some crazy myths that must be prevailing to prevent travellers coming to Kenya. I want to address some of these myths to help put your mind at ease and feel confident to experience that bucket list safari you’ve always wanted. This won’t be a marketing spiel; I live in Kenya so I know the good, the bad and the ugly and will share all of it with you.

Myth 1: Kenya is full of terrorists

CNN’s description of Kenya was outlandish to say the least. Kenya suffered several terrorism incidents throughout 2013 and 2014, the most notable of which was the attack on the Westgate Shopping Centre. Most of the activities were much smaller scale however – grenades thrown into bus stations, churches and nightclubs. In April 2015 the Garissa University was attacked and since then Kenya has not had another attack (time of writing is August 2016, I hope I don’t jinx it!). Al Shabaab, an Al Qaeda-affiliated group from Somalia, are reported to be the key offenders.

Unfortunately today, terrorism occurs everywhere and anywhere. In the last year we have seen attacks in Paris, Sydney, Brussels and Istanbul. But travellers still flock to these places.

Fifty million people survive every day in Kenya, so your chances are pretty good that you will come out alive. Like saying “all Muslims are terrorists”, Kenyans want peace as much as the next person. Moreover, the parts of Kenya you, as a traveller, would be frequenting are not terrorist targets – there have been no attacks on any national parks or game reserves to date. There is a terrorist risk near the Somali border and in parts of Nairobi.

The current travel advisory from the Australian government is that only some areas are dangerous, not the whole country. And the dangerous areas don’t have much of interest to the average safari-goer.

Myth 2: Nairobi is “Nai-robbery”

A decade ago carjackings, armed robbery, and muggings were relatively common in Nairobi, earning the city the nickname “Nai-robbery”. But one mayor did a lot of work with the street boys and nowadays Nairobi is just as safe (or risky) as any other big city in the world. Expatarrivals.com says that crime in Nairobi is “opportunistic, unsophisticated, comparable to other world capitals.” The crime rate has decreased each year since 2012 according to Standard Digital.

I have lived in Nairobi for five years now and I have never been physically attacked. One evening, my phone was snatched – but who walks in the city centre in the evening alone talking on their phone; it was totally my fault. However, everyone who saw the thief chased him and I got my phone back! Nairobians themselves are tired of crime in their city, especially towards foreigners because they don’t want travellers to have a bad experience of Kenya.

Myth 3: Corruption is rife and foreigners are targeted because they are thought to have more money

I cannot say that corruption is not rife. It is, but as a tourist you are unlikely to encounter it. If you book a full package safari, there will be little opportunity for police or any other official to ask you for a bribe. Tourists are rarely targeted. Foreigners are not an easy target because we tend to ask too many questions and don’t always understand what’s really happening. It’s not in our habit to slip some money in the door handle for the traffic policeman for example. Expatriates who participate in corruption means crime continues unpunished and Kenya’s development remains stymied. The phrase “When in Rome…” should not apply to bribery and corruption.

President Kenyatta says the right things about cleaning up Kenya’s corruption, but it’s going to take a huge shift. However it’s certainly not a reason to avoid a Kenyan safari!

Myth 4: Tour operators are dishonest and you will lose your money if you pay in advance.

Yes, there are some briefcase businesses, but in this age of the internet you can certainly do you own due diligence and avoid being scammed. There are plenty of review sites online and many allow you to contact reviewers directly to ask about their experience. Use Trip Advisor, do your research, check the prices.

The tourism industry has suffered greatly the past four years (due to the myths I’m writing about here!) and tour operators are getting increasingly desperate just to make a sale. But if park fees are included in your package, check that the total price can cover those fees. For example, it is $80 for a 24-hour ticket to the Maasai Mara. So if you are booking a two-night safari to Maasai Mara for $200, you can do some simple maths and calculate that $160 is for park fees, leaving only $40 for transport, accommodation and food. Park fees are public information so you can do some rough calculations. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is! Either your operator is paying bribes at the park gate, or your vehicle hasn’t been maintained, or your food will be substandard. Or you could get the trifecta! Please, it does not help Kenya’s fight against corruption to encourage your tour operator to pay bribes at the gate so you can get into the park cheaply.

The Kenyan Association of Tour Operators and the Kenyan Ministry of Tourism are also working hard to introduce measures to curb cheats.

Sensational media is destroying Kenya’s main industry and the economy is suffering as a result. So if an African safari is on your bucket list, look beyond the headlines and see Kenya for the amazing country it really is.

The Maasai Mara and Serengeti form a cross-border eco-system that supports millions of animals and is the scene for the Great Wildebeest Migration. In January, OTA is leading a tour to these parks as well as Lake Naivasha, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Natron, giving guests the opportunity to experience a variety of landscapes throughout their safari.

Spectacular wildlife in Maasai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater is the biggest draw-card of this safari, but the stunning birding in Lakes Naivasha and Natron is not to be dismissed. Throughout the safari, we will travel through several different environments, each providing incredible scenery. Guests will also have the opportunity to visit a traditional Maasai village. Travelling in a comfortable safari vehicle fit for photography, game-viewing and touring and accompanied by an experienced driver-guide, on this trip you will stay in three-star tented camps and lodges.

Francis Wamai, Founder and Director of OTA, says: “Lake Naivasha is the biggest of the Rift Valley lakes and Lake Natron has an alga that makes it look red; both are home to millions of flamingos. Maasai Mara is famous for the Great Wildebeest Migration that arrives in July and returns to Serengeti in November – that’s where you’ll see the herds on this trip. Ngorongoro Crater is the caldera of an extinct volcano and local people believe it is the Garden of Eden, especially as nearby Oldepai Gorge is where some of the earliest human remains have been found.”

OTA’s 13-day Wildlife Wonder Tour is designed for those looking for an exceptional and unique safari experience. The tour cost is US$3460 per person inclusive of all meals, accommodation, entry fees to Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Natron, and an English-speaking driver-guide. There are limited seats available so contact tracey@ota-responsibletravel.com today to reserve yours.

In January, Jasmin and Josh became our first ever AirBnB guests. Jasmin had been studying on exchange here in Kenya and her boyfriend Josh came to visit her at the end of semester so they could travel together. After a week in Kenya, Jasmin’s brother Fabio also joined them and Jasmin and Fabio decided they wanted to go the Maasai Mara after Josh returned home.

We were able to find them two other travel buddies from Argentina so the four of them set off from Nairobi early one morning for a three day trip to Kenya’s top tourist destination. They stayed at Mara Explorers and headed into the park almost immediately. They spend the afternoon and all the next day in the game park watching wildlife. Some of the group also went in for a final game drive on the last morning before returning to Nairobi. That was the best game drive, because that was the time they saw lions on a hunt!

Jasmin and Fabio came back and stayed a few more nights in our spare room before they went home, saying goodbye to the friends Jasmin had made during her semester here. It was a pleasure to host Jasmin, Josh and Fabio both in our home and on safari and we hope they will return to Kenya again someday!

Jasmin left us a lovely review on Trip Advisor: “Absolutely relaxed and responsible safari!”

Me and my brother made a safari to Masaai Mara. We already knew Francis and Tracey because we’ve spent some nights at their place in Rongai. They are really nice and helpful people and we had an amazing time with them. The safari to the Mara was one of the highlights of our time in Kenya.

I think Francis is a really good driver and I felt so relaxed in his car. This is important because it is quite a distance to the Mara park from Nairobi. Also in the park we felt that he really knows the area and that he exactly knew when he can drive through a waterhole (this time there were a lot of them) – we never got stuck. He also drove respectfully when animals were around, what I appreciated a lot. He really asked what we wanted and did not just stop at any souvenir shop like I knew it from other safari organizations (and I think can be a bit annoying). Finally, the place where we went for the two nights was also a great spot (The Mara explorer’s camps).

I totally recommend to travel with OTA because it is a small, really personal safari organization of such a nice couple with experience and knowledge.

The African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW) in Kenya conducts conservation work throughout the country. But, by far, their most famous project is the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi. One of the most popular tourist attractions in Kenya’s capital, the Giraffe Centre gives us the opportunity to come eye-to-eye with these gentle, graceful creatures.

As you mount the stairs, a ranger issues you with a handful of pellets. Now that you are at eye (and mouth) level with these giants, you can see up close their beautiful long eyelashes and long blue tongue. They hungrily eye off the pellets and if you are a bit slow in feeding them, you may receive a gently head-butt as a reminder. And if you are super-keen to get personal with them, simply pop a pellet between your teeth and get a big sloppy giraffe kiss!

The centre is home to Rothschild Giraffes and the AFEW has a breeding program to prevent this endangered species from becoming extinct. They also conduct conservation education for Kenyan youth and teachers. Your entry fee as a tourist goes towards this work and helps the AFEW offer free entry to Kenyan children. The staff also present information sessions at various times throughout the day for visitors, so while you are there be sure to ask them to let you know when the next session is.

The giraffes have a large acreage on which to roam and at the other end of the land is the Giraffe Manor. This high-end accommodation offers a unique experience for a city stay, with the Manor lawns extending out to the acreage. There are no fences, giving the giraffes free reign over the space. And they take advantage of it! It is not uncommon to have a giraffe pop its head through the window while you are enjoying breakfast or afternoon tea. You think that only happens for the promotional photos, but believe me, it happens when the camera isn’t there as well!

Do you fancy sharing afternoon tea with a giraffe, or perhaps getting a kiss from one? OTA can help you plan your Kenyan adventure, so contact us today: www.ota-responsibletravel.com.

Situated at the southern corner of the Samburu district in the Rift Valley province, the Samburu ecosystem comprises three national reserves: Shaba, Buffalo Springs and Samburu. These parks are not as famous as others in Kenya, but within this ecosystem are species found nowhere else in the country, including the Grevy’s Zebra, Somali Ostrich, Beisa Oryx, Reticulated Giraffe and Gerenuk.

The landscape offers amazing variety from open savannah to scrub desert to lush river foliage, offering fantastic opportunities for excellent wildlife encounters. Steep-sided gullies and rounded hills formed on the lava plain describe the terrain. Vegetation in the reserve area is dominated by umbrella acacia woodland with intermittent bush-, grass- and scrub-land. Near the river, Doum Palm dominates the landscape. The fruits of the Doum are eaten by monkey, baboon and elephant.

The climate in this area is typically dry and hot. Temperatures can reach 40°C in the day with an average low of 20°C at night. The rainy season occurs during the hotter months between April and June and also November and December, with November usually being the wettest month. Between January and March it is very hot and dry; July to October is also dry. The elevation in the park ranges from 800 to 1,230 metres.

Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves are separated by 32 km of the Uaso Nyiro River, which winds its way through Kenya from the Aberdare Mountains to the Loriam Swamp near the Somali border. The river is the lifeline of this arid region, drawing the water-dependent animals to it during the dry season. In the Samburu language, “Uaso Nyiro” means “River of Brown Water”.

Located 345km north of Nairobi is Archer’s Gate, the main entrance to Samburu National Reserve. Established in 1948, the Reserve is relatively small at 170 square kilometres, making animals a bit easier to find than in other parks. Entry fees for foreigners are currently US$70 per day (2014).

Monkey, olive baboon, buffalo, impala, waterbuck, monitor lizard and Nile crocodile are the most commonly seen residents of Samburu. Lodges in the reserve have attracted the normally reclusive leopards with bait for several years, so the chances of seeing one are greater than in other parks. As well as these mammals and reptiles, there are over 300 species of birds, including large flocks of Helmeted and Vulturine Guineafowl. The five endemic species to the area are: Gerenuk, also known as the “giraffe-necked antelope” as it has a stretched neck adapted for browsing high into the bushes; Grevy’s Zebra, with wide black stripes and a completely white belly; Beisa Oryx; Reticulated Giraffe; and the blue-legged Somali Ostrich.

Accommodation in and around Samburu National Reserve varies in luxury and budget.

Umoja Women’s Campsite is our favourite budget option just outside the park gate at Archer’s Post. It is a community campsite with bandas (small huts) and simple meals. It is attached to a women’s village that provides refuge for Samburu women fleeing domestic violence. Proceeds from the campsite support the women, and you can visit the village to learn more about Samburu culture. Meet the Chairwoman and Founder, Rebecca Lolosoli, in this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1zuCNemmPo.

Samburu Intrepids is an eco-friendly option inside the reserve. They have financed the development of a school, a bee-keeping project and medical services in the community.

Larsens Camp, Samburu Game Lodge, Saruni Samburu, Sasaab Samburu and Elephant Bedroom Camp are other lodges in the area.

The town of Archer’s Post has simple, budget guesthouses and restaurants.

OTA is running a eight-day safari from Nairobi, Kenya to the Lake Turkana Festival via Samburu National Reserve in June. The Lake Turkana Festival is one of the cultural highlights on Kenya’s calendar. The tour includes game viewing in Samburu, visiting outback towns Maralal and Marsabit, and visiting the extraordinary cultural festival in Loyangalani. Fourteen communities in this remote corner of the world coming together to celebrate their differences – don’t you want to be a part of that?! Visit the website for more information http://www.ota-responsibletravel.com for more information, or check the event page on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/OverlandTravelAdventures

After visiting Rebecca several times over the course of a year, OTA interviewed her in September 2013 to share her story of Umoja Women’s Group. She founded Umoja in 1990 to help Samburu women suffering from domestic violence and other abuses find a safe refuge. Over the decades she has met incredible opposition from the Samburu men, but against the odds she has established a haven currently housing 58 women and recently ran for a political position in her community.

My name is Rebecca Lolosoli. I work with Umoja Women’s Group which was started in 1990. We started a women’s village and in 1990 we had three women; now we are 58 women. It’s a village where women run to, like a shelter for the women.

We are fighting for the rights of women, the rights of weak families, and the rights of girls. Samburu women don’t have rights. So we fight for our girls to go to school, to choose their husbands and to own anything like land and livestock as any other human being can. This village is the shelter for women where women and girls run to during their problems, such as early marriages, early pregnancy, and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). We also try to help those girls that get pregnant before FGM because their baby will be killed so we try to protect the girl and protect the baby.

And now also the women work fighting for peace. We need peace in Kenya and we want to have peace with other communities like our neighbours – the ones who are fighting with Samburu: Borana, Turkana, and Pokot. So we think the women are to bring these changes of peace and we want to network with our neighbours (the Borana, Turkana and Pokot). We want to visit each other and try to see how we can bring peace between us because we are the victims. It’s always the women and children who are the victims. That’s why we have to think again about peace because there’s no development without peace and that’s what we are trying to do with Umoja Women’s Group.

You can visit Umoja Women’s Village at Archer’s Post, near the gate of Samburu National Reserve. Rebecca also runs a campsite close to the village where tourists visiting the Reserve can stay. The proceeds from the camp support the women in the village and their ongoing fight for women’s rights in the Samburu community. Visit www.umojawomen.org for more information.

OTA is running a nine-day safari from Nairobi, Kenya to the Lake Turkana Festival via Samburu National Reserve and Thomson’s Falls in June. The Lake Turkana Festival is one of the cultural highlights on Kenya’s calendar. It includes game viewing in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya, visiting outback towns Maralal and Marsabit, and visiting the extraordinary cultural festival in Loyangalani. Ten communities in this remote corner of the world coming together to celebrate their differences – don’t you want to be a part of that?! Visit the website for more information http://www.ota-responsibletravel.com for more information, or check the Event page on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/OverlandTravelAdventures

In 1883 Joseph Thomson became the first European to reach Thomson’s Falls. He was a Scottish geologist and naturalist who was also the first European to walk between Mombasa and Lake Victoria, which he did in the early 1880s. He named Thomson’s Falls for his father.

Long before Joseph Thomson wandered through, the central highlands of Kenya was inhabited by Kikuyus. Kikuyus are the largest tribe of Kenya making up approximately 23 percent of the country’s population today. They are of Bantu origin (Bantus came from West Africa) and moved in from northern and eastern areas to settle in the Mount Kenya vicinity. The Kikuyus are known in Kenya as business people and good traders. They are pastoralists, preferring to settle an area and grow crops than live the nomadic herdsman life of their neighbouring Maasai, Samburu and Turkana tribes. Living in Kenya’s central highlands means their traditional dress is almost reminiscent of Russia, with square woollen hats made from sheep’s skin. Where the Maasai robe themselves in brightly coloured, lightweight blankets, the Kikuyu have think sheepskin draped around them. It is very rare these days to see Kikuyu dressing and living in the traditional style but at Thomson’s Falls there is the opportunity to see some people dressed in the costumes for photos.

It’s difficult to imagine how Joseph Thomson could have found his way to the Falls looking at the terrain. At the top of the Falls is Thomson’s Falls Lodge, a colonial structure that has remained as a hotel over the decades. From the Lodge you can hire a guide to take you to the bottom of the Falls to get a different perspective. The hike down takes approximately 20 minutes through forest. The path is steep and made slippery by the spray from the waterfall. The track is quite well-defined however, unlike it would have been in 1883 when Thomson came through! Back at the top of the waterfall is another hike (turn right from the top lookout instead of left) to the highest hippo pool in Kenya.

The waterfall tumbles out of the hippo pool and falls 72 metres to the bottom. The water comes from the Aberdare Mountains and forms part of the Ewaso Ng’iro River. Thomson’s Falls is located two miles from the town of Nyahururu (formerly called Thomson’s Falls as well) in central Kenya. Nyahururu is Kenya’s highest town at 2360 metres above sea level.

Have you been to Thomson’s Falls in Kenya? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below.

Overland Travel Adventures provides private tailored safaris dedicated to the philosophies of responsible travel. We engage with communities through East Africa by visiting local NGOs and supporting their projects either with hands-on assistance or monetary donations. A holiday with OTA will give you the opportunity to interact with local people as well as visit the spectacular game parks East Africa is famous for.